Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-02-17
step@ Of remorsc, that laggard whose voice Is
always "too late, too latev'


a vague expectancy through the mining viii
lage. The men had left oil work, and stood
around In groups, smoking and talking, while
awaiting the verdict, and the women gossiped
aud shook their heads over the probable out
growth Of the owners visit to the mine
"My man says as how that car they come
TO the junction in must have cost thousands,
and here is US glad Of two rooms and bad
roof atop Of them. TIN be no free country
until our men get the good OF their work In
stead o. them high-toned nobs as owns so
many pits they don't get 10 see them once
year NV man saws as how the times a. comm
when they'll have to bend"
'Or be bowed" broke In neighbor, with a
laugh.
''Oh, Mrs. Dugan,n chimed In another. ''it's
yerself has Always an answer on yer tongue,
an II what | hear Is true yer not far off the
mark. Some o. the boys have been drunken
and will stop at nothen not even dynamite"
SAN small WONDER" answered the Dugan
woman, with the short weight an half car
lost to We II but bit o. slate happens in--as
who can help IL there In the darki-an' the
pluck me- stores where we must buy or leave
the works, an scarce ever does dollar come
In our door; It's all used for provisions as fast
as it's earned
II hear it's quite gang o. them come-blg-
bugs, all o. them-a-maken round o. the dig
gcns.n
It'll be sorry round to them II them scales
an some o. the rules amt changed afore
nlSut. NON YOU lllluu Wnhl III Itlltu yer
And thus the prophecies driftcd from one
10 another, aud woman, with a basket of
clothes on her arm and a little yellow-hared
child at her side, stopped short In the black,
dusty road, rs from the other side OF a high
board fence half drunken curses came TO her
ears.
'Be quiet, Tom" admonisbed another
voice, "and don't drink any more, or You'll
give The whole thing away | am sick of II
since saw the doctor with them. He has
been mighty good TO lots OF US; but the rest
can burn for all we"
''Let 'em all burn. Doctor an Young Hep
burn are big-bngs as much as the stockhold-
ers, with their fine words an their high an
mi hty ways Yer all lot % toadies 10 that
cursed doctor. His word IS law to all o. We,
an dye spose IL would be II he was common
worken stun like U.S. No. It's the learnin'
an the high toned way Of his that We knuckle
To, an tell We, Jim, We take II out o. them
all Hurra for equal rightsm
Hush Tom. Lay low here In the grass,
and take sleep til yer sober enough 10 keep
a close head II the boys that's in II hear you
bowin' like this there'll be the devil to pay.
Yer likely TO be found missin', an don't you
forget itr'
shut upl" growled the other. "They
won't change the rules. Won't theyl Let
me alonel | know what Pm dom. Just as
well as know who put the nitre glycerne on
the track by entry number nine. I'm put an
end to their sightseein'. It'll teach other
Stockholders TO respect workn' mems rights.
liurra !" And the voice continued mutterng
threats and curses at moneyed men and ar.sto
Gratis while the woman stood motonless in
the bare road, her face whitening, her eyes
full of horror as the meaning of the mans
words dawned on her, and then, dropping the
olhes basket, she lifted the child quickly,
clasping him so tight that he cried out In
fright and surprise. She did not heed, but,
turning, ran with the swiftness OF a hound
back toward the village. She heard shout
behind her but did not turn. The child's
cry had told the men of her presence. They
were shouting at her to stop; but on she ran,
with the one thought uppermost In her heart
safety his life depenus on her speed. Oh.
how slowly the road moved under her feet
But she could tell hat, despite her load, she
was gaining on her pursuers. Their vo ces
grew fainter. She gained the hilltop above
the mines. There was still half-mile of road
to cover. She could see the groups of
men around the pits mouth. Oh,
how far away il seemed! Could she
ever reach it. Her breath came In
short gasps; her head was filled with
Luzzing that was maddening; she could not
tell IL il was the murmur OF far-off voices or
only the rush of riotous blood In her own veins.
Perhaps she was too latel She tried TO cry out
to the people below. Oh, we're they blind that
they could not see here She reached the strag-
CLING village street Down its length she ran,
a wild figure with streaming hair, and the
frightened child clasped close in her arms.
Women and children scattered In terror as she
passed. Nothing but mad woman could ever
look like that. Down among the crowd she
sped, needless OF outstretched hands Of men
to stop her needless of thier word of cues
ton, on, on, until she dropped, blind and
dizzy, at the pits mouth. Oniy for a moment
she lay so, while rough, kindly hands lifted
the screaming child. Then she staggered to
her feet.
'Dr Hepburn !" she gasped. "where-"
NIIp has inst down ha haf xyi ho
visitors. WHAT'S the matter!' IL was the scar
faced man, Dan. who answered her, holding
the child in his arms.
'Quickn she gasped. The cage! Take
me down IL. 10 is life or deathl'
"All right Get in. DO your quickest" he
said to the engineer.
"I'll do it., DAN" said the man turning in
TO the engine-roon. Good God What's this ~
"Whatl" came from n dozen throats.
"The ropes are cut with acid. Look here.
II Is not three minutes since left the engine.
Something is up The cage won't work !"
A thrill Of horror went over the crowd.
Clearly the plot was not general one. All
were sullen and dissatisfied, but only a few
bad been In the horrible conspiracy. To the
woman's senses was carried the thought "too
lateV' when someone near her said:
well, the stairs are left"
"The stairsp' She had not thought of that.
''Where are theyln she asked.
Here" answered a man standing near the
black-lOoking aperture.
She turned swiftly to Dan. 'Be good TO my
boy" she said and, kissing the child. she
turned before they were rightly aware Of her
intention and plunged into the depths of the
narrow stairway. From landing to landing
she staggered, feeling her way as best she
could In the intense blackness, falling at times,
against the slimy, oozng walls, straining her
eyes in hopes Of CLEAN Of lamps. Down,
down, down. Oh, would she over get TO the
lottomf Her breath was going, a dizziness
was coming to her. She tried TO stand erect,
but she stumbled gropingly against the wall,
and felt strange weakness growing on her.
Oh, to fight 1t of until she could reach him |
to silence for one moment that drip, drip drip
she heard from the roof could hear growing
into roaring torrent, nearer and nearer IL
came. Another step and 1t would engulf her.
Down she staggered, her whole remaining
strength collected In n wild scream as those
black, phantom like waves closed around her
party OF men just entering the car mt the
main entry, stopped appalled, ut that shrek.
They looked at one another In questioning
amaZement.
is the mine haunteda" asked one OF the
visitors. That certainly sounded like nothing
earthly"
Come said young Hepburn, picking up a
lamp; 9TH r. is something wrong. That
sounded f., IN the stairs Come, Uncleu
And there, in the bend of the stairs they
found her. Five steps more would have
brought her In sight OF the lamps she had
struggled so to reach. Blackeued and wet
from the dripping walls, she lay unconscious,
and from her lips trickled a red stream that
formed pool on the black floor.
This Is serious, gentlemen. broken
blood. vessel" said the doctor, bending over
her. "IIall, ring the bell for the cage. We
must get her above ground at once!"
The bell was r,ng, but no answer returned.
The wire had been cut. Young Hepburn
looked grave. There is something wrong, Sc
riousy wrong. here. We must return by the
stairs" While he spoke they heard the voices
of men, who had followed Kate with lights.
and In another minute the two parties of men
met In the narrow passage with questioning
L. Il L